[Tamra S]

I have a 4 year old male Dalmation who had a urinary stone problem at age 1. After doing a lot of research on this topic over the 20 years we’ve owned male Dals, 3 years ago I settled on Blue Buffalo BASICS (Grain Free) Salmon and Sweet Potato dry kibble for him. He has not had a stone issue since. The past two years I have been VERY disappointed in this product, but I have been too afraid to make a change. I WILL NOT put him on Hills Science Diet or the like “tailored” for dogs with this issue because they are absolutely out of my price range. I feed my other dogs premium dog food (Merrick Grain Free) so I have no problem with a 25lb bag costing $50 – $55.

My Dal has suffered digestive issues several times over the course of his BB diet, always within a day of having opened a new bag. His coat is dry and dull. He and his Basenji sister have dry, dull coats and both have taken to eating poop whenever they are outside. I want to get them both off of BB as I read that they do not have a “Fixed Formula” and I have certainly seen the effects in all my dogs due to ingredient variances.

Does anybody have any experience with transitioning a male Dal with a history of stone formation to another brand of dog food and, if so, what do you recommend?

Tamra S.

[Cat B]

We are getting a Labradoodle. Vet says this is a “large breed” expectd to be between 60-65lbs fully grown based on mom and dad’s stats. I’ve decided on Orijen but their large breed puppy formula bag says that 66lbs is their definition of large breed. I’ve reached out to the company to ask but puppy comes home on Friday and I am eager to get her off of the Blue Buffalo crap she’s being fed now.
Thanks in advance!

[Dany M]

Hi,

My puppy, Chico, is a healthy 11 months old dachshund. He was on Blue Buffalo food and I switched him to Acana for puppies & juniors.

I’m not sure which Acana adult food I should give him now. I disregarded the adult small breed product because it does not come in a large size bag. This factor is important for me due to my budget. I’m torn between the singles and regionals products.

I’d like to know which one you recommend between the 2 products (regional or singles). I think singles is more suitable for dogs with sensitive digestive system.

Thank you in advance,

Danny

[haleycookie]

This has been going on for some time now. Probably 6 months since I first heard of it. Blue buffalo was recently bought out my General Mills as well. Not to mention the 4 recalls they had last year alone. Not to mention all the other ones from years prior. This company definitely became all about the money. For the owner to still be thought of as anything but a money hungry person who cares only about how much $$$ hes bringing in a year is just silly in my opinion. Would avoid it at all costs at this point

[earthygirl]

I was surprised to find this out today and would have thought it would be on the news or reported by dog advisor but though they have had recalls I don’t remember one for high lead. There are 2 lawsuits and you can find the link on the bottom.
https://www.chagrinfallspetclinic.com/2017/09/14/pet-food-lead-alert-blue-buffalo-blue-wilderness-dog-food-class-action-law-suit/

[james M]

I am trying to find a low fat dry dog food that i can use as a basis for feeding my nine year old yellow lab who has had two Pancreatitis events over the past two years. We have reviewed her meds and removed the joint med that could cause issues with her pancreas. We are using Prescription Diet/Digestive Care ID /Low Fat but would like to reduce the cost! In her pm meal along with 1 cup dry, 1 cup can,1 cup water, we add organic sea cucumber (joint), 1/8 cup gmo & BPA free can or frozen fresh pumpkin, 1/8 cup green beans & tbs organic extra virgin olive oil (dry skin). What can we use to replace the Prescription Can & Dry Low fat dog food? Is Blue Buffalo / Blue Life Protection Formula Adult Healthy Weight can / dry a good replacement?

Thanks in advance for the suggestions,

Jamie Marquis, Belgrade, Maine

[Tyler S]

I have done research over the past few months of having our puppy and honestly I am overwhelmed with everyone’s opinion of which dog food is “best.” Our budget doesn’t allow for some of the dog foods I have seen reccomended, but I would put a TOTW price point at the high end of our budget. I like the thought of the diamond naturals price point and food, but maybe that’s not what’s best for our pup. Let me give you the info on our dog and please help us make a decision on what fits our budget and also fills our pups tummy.

We will feed this until switching to adult food unless we are told otherwise. Currently she is on American Journey Lamb and Rice

Brands we have thought about:
Diamond Naturals
Blue Buffalo
TOTW
Nutro
Victor
HiTek

She is a lab hound mix and looks like she will be 70+-10lbs. She was rescued. So far we haven’t noticed adversities to any food she has been given. Let me know if you need more info

[Pamela W]

Recently lost my 6 year old labrador retriever to liver disease. Now trying to find a nutritional and low containment dog food for my 10 month old puppy ( I was giving my 6 Year old Blue Buffalo Salmon). Have been cross referencing Dog Food Advisor with Clean Label and found the brand “I and Love and You” to receive 5 stars from both. However, it did not make the Dog Food Advisor’s Editor’s Choice but still received 5 Stars from them. A bit confused??
In addition, most off the brands on the Editor’s Choice List score poorly on Clean Label.

[InkedMarie]

Contacting Blue Buffalo should give you the answers.

[Lee M]

When speaking to one of the clerks at my local PetSmart where I buy my dogs food, she mentioned that Blue Buffalo would be changing their recipe to a more cost effective one in order to get on more shelves. Namely Walmart and local grocery stores. She also mentioned that due to this change and reduction in overall product quality, PetSmart would be pulling the product from their shelves.
Can anyone shed any light?

[Patricia H]

I would like to advise that you stay away from Blue Buffalo soft training bits. I bought a bag of the chicken flavored ones and both of my dogs got vomiting and diarrhea from them. Since we didn’t connect it to the treats right away, it happened twice within 4 days and my 14-week old golden retriever puppy ended up at the vet. The vet wants us to report it to Blue Buffalo.

[Lauren]

Hi everyone!

This is my first post here 🙂

I’d like to get your suggestions for a food plan for my new rescue pup. I need help making sure I’m balancing the proteins, fats, and nutrients, and giving a good mix of different main ingredients.

I also would love suggestions for what wet food or toppers I should add for the most beneficial diet.

My puppy is a 14 week old Dachshund, only 4 pounds, likely to get to 10 pounds, 15 max.
His energy level is low medium. He’s pretty laid back, not super high energy puppy.

Currently, I’m planning to generally follow the recommendation on this site for food rotation, which is:
-Mix 1/5 of a small can of a single-species wet food (chicken, lamb, rabbit, etc.) with his kibble.
-As each can runs out, switch to a different wet food from the same brand.
-When each bag of kibble is empty, start with a different kibble from the same brand).
– Twice a year, gradually switch brands, too.

At the end of this post I’ve listed all the brands and formulas I’m considering. I’ve laid it all out so it’s easy to compare, and ordered them by highest protein % to lowest.

Here are some questions I have:
— Should I try to rotate foods with different protein and fat percentages AND also with different protein and veg ingredients?
OR
Should I try to determine which protein percentage is best for my pup and stick to that, then focus just on rotating main ingredients and formulas that contain that protein %?
— Do you have suggestions for a good rotation using these foods for a nicely balanced diet?
— Wet food toppers – suggestions to best balance these brands/formulas??
— Do you advise on switching brands more rapidly than 2x a year? What about switching formulas faster than one bag of kibbel at a time?

Thank you everyone!!!

———————-

FULL LIST
Kibbles I considered, with nutritional breakdowns, for easy comparison:

HOLISTIC SELECT
— Holistic Select Small & Mini Breed Puppy Health Anchovy, Sardine & Chicken
PROTEIN 30.0% min / FAT 20.0% min / FIBER 3.4% max
— Holistic Select Adult & Puppy Health Salmon, Anchovy & Sardine Grain-Free
PROTEIN 29.0% min / FAT 14.0% min / FIBER 5.5% max

CANIDAE
— CANIDAE All Life Stages Chicken Meal & Rice
Main ingred: Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, White Rice, Rice Bran, Cracked Pearled Barley,
Peas, Chicken Fat, Millet, Flaxseed Meal
PROTEIN 26.0% / FAT 15.0% / FIBER 4.0% / O6 3.7% / O3 0.5%
— CANIDAE All Life Stages Multi-Protein (chicken, turkey, lamb and fish)
Main ingred: Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, White Rice, Rice Bran,
Peas, Potatoes, Oatmeal, Cracked Pearled Barley, Chicken Fat, Millet, Flaxseed Meal,
Ocean Fish Meal
PROTEIN 24.0% / FAT 14.5% / FIBER 4.0% / O6 3.7% / O3 0.5%
— CANIDAE All Life Stages Lamb Meal & Rice
Main ingred: Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, Cracked Pearled Barley, Rice Bran, Peas, Millet,
Lamb, Flaxseed Meal
PROTEIN 21.0% / FAT 12.5% / FIBER 4.0% / O6 3.55% / O3 0.5%

TASTE OF THE WILD
— Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Grain-Free
Main ingred: Buffalo, Lamb Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Egg Product, Pea Protein, Peas,
Potatoes, Canola Oil, Tomato Pomace, Bison, Roasted Venison, Beef, Flaxseed,
Potato Fiber, Ocean Fish Meal, Salmon Oil
PROTEIN 28.0% / FAT 17.0% / FIBER 5.0% / O6: 3.8% O3: .3%
***Looks like a good option
— Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Puppy Grain-Free
Main ingred: Salmon, Ocean Fish Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Peas, Pea Protein
PROTEIN 27.0% / FAT 15.0% / FIBER 5.0% max / O6: 2.4% O3: .3%

MERRICK
— Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain-Free Real Texas Beef + Sweet Potato Recipe Small Breed
Main ingred: Deboned Beef, Lamb Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Potatoes, Natural Flavor,
Potato Protein, Salmon Meal, Pork Fat, Pea Protein, Salmon
PROTEIN 38.0% / FAT 15.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O6 3.5% / O3 0.35%
— Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain-Free Real Chicken + Sweet Potato Recipe Small Breed
Main ingred: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes,
Peas, Natural Flavor, Chicken Fat, Salmon Meal, Apples, Blueberries
PROTEIN 38.0% / FAT 17.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O6 4.8% / O3 0.4%
— Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused Puppy Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Peas,
Natural Flavor, Turkey Meal, Chicken Fat, Potato Protein, Deboned Salmon,
Chicken Liver, Apples, Blueberries
PROTEIN 30.0% / FAT 12.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O6 3.0% / O3 .3%
— Merrick Real Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Puppy Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Deboned Beef, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Lamb Meal, Potatoes, Pork Fat,
Pea Protein, Potato Protein, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil, Deboned Salmon, Flaxseed Oil,
Apples, Blueberries
PROTEIN 28.0% / FAT 12.0% / FIBER 4.5% max O6 2.0% / O3 .3%
— Merrick Grain-Free Puppy Real Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Potatoes, Peas, Sweet Potatoes,
Natural Pork Flavor, Potato Protein, Chicken Fat, Natural Chicken Flavor,
Deboned Salmon, Apples, Blueberries
PROTEIN 28.0% / FAT 12.0% / FIBER 4.5% / O6 2.2% / O3 .3% min

ZIGNATURE
— Zignature Zssential Multi-Protein Formula Grain-Free
Main ingred: Turkey, Turkey Meal, Lamb Meal, Chickpeas, Duck Meal, Pea Flour, Peas,
Salmon, Flaxseeds, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal
PROTEIN 32.0% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 5.5% / O6 4.5% / O3 2.0%
— Zignature Turkey Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Turkey, Turkey Meal, Chickpeas, Peas, Pea Protein, Sunflower Oil, Flaxseed,
PROTEIN 31.0% / FAT 18.0% / FIBER 6.0% / O6 4.0% / O3 1.0%
— Zignature Trout & Salmon Meal Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Trout, Salmon Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Pea Flour, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal
PROTEIN 30.0% / FAT 14.0% / FIBER 6.0% / O6 1.8% / O3 0.5%
— Zignature Lamb Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Lamb, Lamb Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Pea Flour, Sunflower Oil, Pea Protein,
Flaxseed
PROTEIN 28.0% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 6.5% / O3 0.9% / O6 5.0%
— Zignature Kangaroo Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Kangaroo, Kangaroo Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Pea Flour, Sunflower Oil,
Flaxseed, Red Lentils, Green Lentils, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Pea Protein
PROTEIN 26.0% / FAT 14.0% / FIBER 4.5% / O6 3.0% / O3 0.6%

VICTOR
— Victor Select Nutra Pro Active Dog & Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Chicken Meal, Beef Meal, Whole Grain Millet, Blood Meal, Chicken Fat,
Menhaden Fish Meal, Pork Meal, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Flax Seed, Feeding Oat Meal
PROTEIN 38.0% / FAT 18.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O6 2.5% / O3 0.4%
— Victor Yukon River Salmon & Sweet Potato Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Salmon, Menhaden Fish Meal, Sweet Potato, Peas, Canola Oil,
Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Flax Seed
PROTEIN 33.0% / FAT 15.0% / FIBER 3.8% / O6 2.4% / O3 0.4%
— Victor Active Dog & Puppy Formula Grain-Free
Main ingred: Beef Meal, Sweet Potato, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chicken Fat, Pork Meal,
Menhaden Fish Meal, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Dried Egg Product, Flax Seed
PROTEIN 33.0% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 3.8% / O6 2.8% / O3 0.4%
— Victor Professional Formula Dry Dog Food
Beef Meal, Grain Sorghum, Chicken Meal, Chicken Fat, Whole Grain Millet, Pork Meal,
Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Flax Seed, Feeding Oat Meal
PROTEIN 26.0% / FAT 18.0% / FIBER 3.8% / O6 2.6% / O3 none?
— Victor Select Beef Meal & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Beef Meal, Whole Grain Brown Rice, Whole Grain Millet, Grain Sorghum,
Pork Meal, Chicken Fat, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Flax Seed, Feeding Oat Meal
PROTEIN 23.0% / FAT 11.0% / FIBER 4.0% / O6 2.0% / O3 .4%

NATURE’S VARIETY
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Salmon
Main ingred: Salmon, Menhaden Fish Meal, Herring Meal, Peas, Canola Oil, Salmon Meal,
Tapioca, Dried Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil, Montmorillonite Clay,
Carrots, Apples, Cranberries
PROTEIN 37.5% / FAT 20.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 1.8% / O6 2.7%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Duck
Main ingred: Duck, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chicken Eggs, Canola Oil, Duck Meal,
Tapioca, Dried Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavor, Chickpeas, Montmorillonite Clay
PROTEIN 37.5% / FAT 19.5% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 0.5% / O6 3.0%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe with Real Lamb
Main ingred: Lamb, Salmon Meal, White Fish Meal (Pacific Whiting, Pacific Sole,
Pacific Rockfish), Peas, Canola Oil, Tapioca, Menhaden Fish Meal, Lamb Meal,
Suncured Alfalfa Meal, Freeze Dried Lamb, Chickpeas, Pumpkinseeds,
Freeze Dried Lamb Liver, Freeze Dried Lamb Spleen, Montmorillonite Clay,
Freeze Dried Lamb Heart, Freeze Dried Lamb Kidney, Carrots, Apples, Cranberries
PROTEIN 37.5% / FAT 19.0% / FIBER 4.5% / O3 1.5% / O6 2.5%
***Note: Seems like a good option
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken
Main ingred: Chicken, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Chicken Fat,
Salmon Meal, Chicken Eggs
PROTEIN 37.0% / FAT 20.0% / FIBER 3.0% / O3 0.3% / O6 2.6%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken
Main ingred: Chicken, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Chicken Fat,
Salmon Meal, Chicken Eggs
PROTEIN 37.0% / FAT 20.5% / FIBER 4.0% / O3 0.35% / O6 3.2%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Small Breed Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken
Main ingred: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Chickpeas, Turkey Meal, Tapioca, Herring Meal,
Chicken Fat, Peas, Freeze Dried Chicken, Dried Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavor,
Freeze Dried Chicken Liver, Coconut Oil, Pumpkinseeds, Montmorillonite Clay,
Freeze Dried Chicken Heart
PROTEIN 37.0% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 0.3% / O6 2.5%
***Note: Seems like a good option
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Rabbit
Main ingred: Rabbit, Salmon Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Chickpeas, Canola Oil, Tapioca,
Rabbit Meal, White Fish Meal
PROTEIN 36.5% / FAT 20.5% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 1.5% / O6 3.4%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Small Breed Grain-Free Recipe with Real Duck
Main ingred: Duck, Duck Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Tapioca, Herring Meal, Chicken Eggs,
Chicken Fat, Freeze Dried Duck, Freeze Dried Turkey, Freeze Dried Turkey Liver,
Coconut Oil, Pumpkinseeds
PROTEIN 36.5% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 4.5% / O3 0.4% / O6 2.5%
***Note: Seems like a good option
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Puppy Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken
Main ingred: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Chicken Eggs,
Chicken Fat, Menhaden Fish Meal, Tapioca, Freeze Dried Chicken, Lamb Meal,
Dried Tomato Pomace, Freeze Dried Chicken Liver
PROTEIN 34.0% / FAT 18.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 0.4% / 3.8% min

——–
——–

[JILL N]

Fad?!! I think not. Major dry dog food companies have begun to incorporate better nutritional ingredients into their kibble meals and eliminate harmful ingredients based on the benefits of real meat and “complete” meal and whole prey diets. The “fad” has now become a healthier food trend in response to the demand of knowledgeable consumers. Case in point, please review the listed ingredients for Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula (chicken) at https://www.chewy.com/blue-buffalo-life-protection-formula. Besides the chemical processing, the only difference in a “complete” raw meal diet (with veggies and fruit) and Blue Buffalo’s kibble are the following ingredients that a dog doesn’t require for a healthy diet anyway:
Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Barley, Oatmeal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Potato Stach, DL-Methionine, Caramel Color, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Garlic, Choline Chloride, Turmeric, Copper Sulfate (an naturally occurring pesticide that can be found in plants, soil, food, and water), Copper Amino Acid Chelate (chelated copper solution is a blend of two compounds. One is the copper sulfate granule, and the other is an ingredient that allows the copper granules to break down and stay in a liquid state). Dried Yeast, Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, Dried Aspergillus niger fermentation extract Dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, and Dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation extract (stomach bacterium and fungi used as a probiotic in pet foods.), Oil of Rosemary.

[Leslie W]

Sara – if you look at the recalls on Hills and Blue Buffalo vs. Instinct I think that will answer your question. Vets do not get courses in Vet School about nuturition. They seem to always suggest the old standbys without regard to how was the food produced and with what.

[Sara K]

Instinct offers a puppy formula as well as a large breed puppy formula. I don’t see a review for the large breed but I am wondering what the difference is.

I have a new Boxer puppy, and he is doing well on the puppy formula, but I have gotten conflicting information from two different vets. One says the food he is on is great, the other recommended a large breed formula and suggested hills or blue buffalo.

I see that the puppy formula review says it is suitable for large breeds, and I don’t want to switch his food if it is unnecessary. Any information you can provide me to help me determine if I should switch his food is greatly appreciated.

[Gary W]

As a rule, veterinarians consider a diet with less than 10 percent fat on a dry matter basis (less than 17 percent of calories from fat) to be low fat, while diets with 10 to 15 percent fat (17 to 23 percent of calories) are considered to contain a moderate amount of fat. Foods with more than 20 percent fat are considered high-fat. A few dogs may need a very low-fat diet, especially if they have hyperlipidemia, or if they react to foods with higher levels of fat.

To make a low-fat homemade diet, feed about half carbohydrates, and half low-fat meat, eggs, and dairy. The percentage of carbs can be decreased, and the amount of meat increased, if you use very low-fat cuts, or boil them to remove most of the fat.

The majority of the carbohydrates should be starchy foods, such as rice, oatmeal, barley, quinoa, pasta, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and winter squashes (e.g., acorn and butternut), to supply low-fat calories. Other types of vegetables, such as broccoli, summer squash, and leafy greens can be included, but they supply fewer calories so they can’t replace the starchy carbs. You can also use a low-fat pre-mix designed to balance out a homemade diet, such as Preference from The Honest Kitchen.

The other half of the diet should be mostly low-fat meats, or meats cooked to remove much of their fat. Skinless chicken breast is very low in fat, but other parts can be used as long as you remove the skin and visible fat. Turkey, venison, goat, buffalo, and rabbit are low in fat, while lamb and pork are generally high in fat. Ground beef comes in varying levels of fat.

Whole eggs are relatively high in fat but are highly nutritious, so they should be included in the diet in limited amounts. A large egg has about 5 grams of fat, which is not a lot for a very large dog, but too much for smaller dogs. You can hard boil eggs and then feed just a portion each day, or split them between multiple dogs. Almost all of the fat and calories are in the yolks, so the whites alone can be added to increase protein without increasing fat, if needed. When feeding just egg whites, they should either be cooked or a B vitamin supplement should be added, as raw egg whites can deplete biotin over time when fed without the yolks.

Low-fat or nonfat dairy products are also good to include in the diet. Cottage cheese, plain yogurt, and kefir (a cultured milk product that is easy to make at home using low-fat or nonfat milk) are all good choices. Avoid other cheeses; even low-fat ones are high in fat (nonfat is okay).

Homemade diets should include organ meat, and most organs are low in fat. Liver and kidney should be fed in small amounts only, no more than 5 to 10 percent of the total diet (around 1 to 1.5 ounces organ meat per pound of food). Beef heart is quite low in fat and is nutritionally more of a muscle meat, so it can be fed in larger quantities, as long as your dog does well with it.

Fruits such as apple, banana, melon, papaya, and blueberries are fine to include in the diet in small amounts. Avoid avocados, which are high in fat.

[Dawn B]

Blue Buffalo has a couple great options. Purple bag is Wilderness Adult Small Bite works great. I put in Tupperware and add water to feed for a couple days. I run a chihuahua rescue group. Lots of experience!! And they all have been badly neglected especially as far as oral care goes. Thank for adopting!!!

[aimee]

I thought I’d provide an update of sorts. The estimated cost for a full analysis at a lab that identifies unknowns was ~2000.00 They would tell me all ingredients identified and in what proportions they are in. It was a bit more than I felt comfortable spending: ) I elected to instead have a known rawhide processed at the lab where I had the “No Hide” processed.

Chris Moore never returned my calls but I did have an interesting conversation with Tom O’Hare Vice President of Operations for Earth Animal. He told me that the chews used to be meat based but the company found that they could not make a durable chew that way so the meat was removed from the product about two years ago. He said currently the only meat in the product is in the outer coating of the chew. This is consistent with the findings of the diagnostic report I referenced above. I asked why, if there has been no meat in the white chew roll for 2 years, did Earth Animal in response to Dr Kallenberger’s report on the Truth About Pet Food site state ” One report discusses seeing microscopic blood vessel passages and flesh fibers……. we are not surprised at these observations as meat is an essential part of the “dough” portion of the No-Hide. ” Additionally, I asked why on many pages of the EA site does it describe the chew as being made of meat? “The chicken has been carefully rolled, cooked, and uniquely dried for a one of a kind chew your dog will love!” In response to these questions Mr. O’Hare said that information should never have been on the site and in the future E.A. will only be providing an ingredient list. I next asked how the company could meet the Guaranteed Analysis of the Salmon chew, reported at 55% min protein, when the primary protein source, Salmon, is only in the outer coating. He responded by saying brown rice flour is high in protein. I informed him that according to the USDA Nutrient database the protein content in brown rice flour is 7%. Next he said the protein comes from the gelatin. I responded that could be true of the other flavors but the Salmon chew uses agar which has a reported protein content of ~6 % Finally, he said the protein comes from the colored coating on the chew. I said I removed all the coating from my chew and it was only about 7% of the product weight. Even if the outer coating was 100% protein it wouldn’t account for the reported protein content of the chew. I also inquired as to how the carbohydrate level in the chews could be so low (2%-11%) when the chew is made of a high carbohydrate ingredient? He said the analysis is done by a third party and that is what it came out to be. I said the analysis doesn’t make sense. The carbohydrate content would only allow for a few teaspoons of flour in a small chew, not nearly enough to make a chew.

The conversation ended but the interesting thing is he called back about 5 min later and his whole affect was different. He said he’d been thinking about my questions and that he can’t explain the discrepancies as he doesn’t have the background to do so. He promised to get me the answers saying that he would get in touch with Dr Yamka, Dr Goldstein, and a PhD that is on staff and get back to me.

After nearly a month had passed and he never recontacted me I e mailed him, he said I should contact Chris Moore. This is person I originally tried to contact. I contacted Chris by e mail and he asked that I call him right after Christmas, which I did, he didn’t answer. Initially, Chris respond to e mail, but he wouldn’t answer any questions nor tell me what would be good times to call him. He only wanted my cell phone number. He said he had a lot of questions for me. I said feel free to ask them but he replied that wanted to ask them by phone. Oddly, it seemed he only wanted to communicate by cell phone and only if he initiated the call. I told him I’d give him a cell number if I had one but I didn’t have a cell phone at that time. After that he broke off all communication with me and no longer responded to further e mails. I e mailed Tom and asked that he give me a different contact, that request and all other e mails to Tom or Chris have gone unanswered. All very odd.

The other day something occurred to me. When Purina reported that Blue Buffalo contained by product meal Blue Buffalo quickly filed a lawsuit against Purina. In the end of course they lost. But I thought it odd that Earth Animal as far as I know hasn’t made any such move.

I’ll post the analysis when I receive it.

[CockalierMom]

Hi Christian,

Not Susan here, but I do have prior experience with this behavior also. It does sound like the food is giving your puppy acid reflux, and apparently the vets do also, since they are telling you to change food and use Pepcid. You said that it increased after changing from puppy to adult so it would appear there is more of what is causing the problem in the adult food. I do not think the problem is adult food, but the ingredients in Merrick. My girl that is grain intolerant was throwing up in the mornings when I fed her Blue Buffalo grain free, but she quit immediately when I changed her food to Natural Balance limited ingredient. I now feed her Wellness limited ingredient and Natural Balance plus she gets a topper on it.

I agree with the vets that you need to try changing foods first because that will give the vets a wealth of information. If changing food makes it worse or improves then you know the cause is food, and not something else. This is easier and cheaper to do than running tests.

Also, the last thing you should do is add more water to the food at this point. Additional water will make them throw up more when they have acid reflux due to food. As Susan will tell you, when the acid reflux is really bad, the dog will not want to drink at all because it makes them sicker.

I would recommend the NB Potato and Duck or Sweet Potato and Fish since they are both very limited ingredients and it is best to start simple when trying to determine if there is a food issue.

[Ann K]

Look at Taste of Wild – it has a pretty decent rating and lots of venison and buffalo and duck blends and Blue Buffalo Life Protection has a lamb and rice. I have a dog that appears to be allergic to any kind of dark meat such as beef, venison, buffalo and duck from what I can tell so that is why I feed her the Blue Life Protection Lamb and Rice and she has few break outs if any. I have my larger dogs on the Blue LP Chicken and Rice and it seems to work pretty good.

[Karen G]

And doesn’t notify distributors or customers.

My Great Pyrenees/Golden Retriever mix is allergic to chicken so I carefully check ingredient labels to make sure it isn’t contained in her food. I found four flavors of Blue Buffalo canned food that didn’t have chicken (Hunter’s Stew, Turkey Stew, Beef Stew, and Irish Lamb Stew) so I set up a monthly auto ship order of one case of each flavor with a distributor. Last fall Maggie started shaking her head, scratching and licking — all signs of allergic reaction. At first it wasn’t too bad so we gave her an antihistamine and hoped it would settle down. Instead it only got worse so I took her to the vet. She was definitely having an allergic reaction so they put her on Apoquel. That didn’t help much so I decided to check her food. Sure enough, Blue Buffalo added or substituted chicken in each of the four flavors. So I was feeding Maggie her allergen every single day for 3 months and didn’t know it!!!! What obligation does a manufacturer have to notify people of changes to their product?????

[Anonymous]

You know, I am 70 and the longer I live, the more I realize that dogs are as different from each other as people are; true, yes? You may be right in that that particular Blue Wilderness product has too much fibre for YOUR dog, as she is fairly small; it’s a sensible thought. You are also correct in thinking that manufacturers are making grain-free and ULTRA grain-free (a marketing gimmick methinks?), which just serves to confuse we owners. (I mean, is grain free NOT actually grain free? Why the “ultra”?) So, I think I would try an Ultra and see how your little girl reacts to it. Some dogs have difficulty digesting chicken, which is supposed to be easy on their intestines (i.e., Boxers) and others are absolutely allergic to particular ingredients. It’s all a huge experiment. Do you know what the “cross” part of her actually is? You are being a very responsible owner in changing from a cheap grocery-store brand to a 4- or 5-star Blue Buffalo. Have you checked out other brands recommended by Dog Food Advisor? Orijen is VERY good. I am Canadian, so use Performatrim, but have also used Blue Buffalo brands. But for sure stick to grain free and DO NOT go back to the grocery store. Many people say that rice is just as bad (is it a grain per se?), so perhaps avoid that, too. Let us know how she reacted to the Ultra Grain Free that you just bought.

[Tashi O]

Hi everybody all of my former dogs and my family dogs were living on acreage where they would literally run outside into the forest and do their thing and then come back into the house… now I live in a very small apartment in the city and of course I am picking up the poop.
All right , so about 3 months ago I adopted this dog from the SPCA in Canada and they gave her a Science Diet bag of food what she refused to eat so I bought her medium expensive grocery store dog food and she ate it reluctantly. Her stool on that food was what I would say, normal size.. In order to perhaps get her healthier and reduce the stool sizes I put her on a Blue Buffalo Wilderness Duck… it’s been about 2 weeks now and her stool is absolutely humongous. It would appear that she is straining and painful when she is emitting stool. I went to the local specialty pet store and ask for a low-residue ( smaller poop ) dog food and they suggested Ultra grain-free formula…..

Anyone have any suggestions? my poor dog is a terrier cross and honestly I have never seen such big dog poop in my entire 56 years on this planet……

I think there’s way too much fiber in the Blue Wilderness …. even though it purports to be grain-free ….
and I don’t know about the one that I just bought the ultragrain free

She is one years old Terrier cross rescue she weighs 18.7 pounds…

• This topic was modified 6 years, 3 months ago by Tashi O.

[Adriana R]

Best By Date.
So probably about 6 months ago I went to PetSmart and I bought about 9 bags of dog food that were soon to expire. Ranging from about 5 to 20 pounds and the brands were Natures Variety Instinct, Blue Buffalo and Nutro. All different varieties/lines and proteins/flavors.
Before I go any further: It wasn’t for my dogs, my dogs got none of this food. It was for a person in my neighborhood who was struggling to buy food for his 3 dogs, his dogs are not “sensitive” whatsoever. They did just fine on the kibbles I bought, none got sick. And by the time they ate all the kibble they were eating expired kibble.
When I went to PetSmart this week I got two bags of Purina Pro Plan lamb. After getting some more items I walked to check out. Right before I got in line it occurred to me I should check all the expiration dates as I usually do but I usually do it as I grab the item’s. And 1 of the Pro Plan bags said Best By Date: NOV 2017 Now I wouldn’t buy my dogs expired food. But I figured if they give me a good deal I’ll consider for someone in the neighborhood. I grabbed a salmon bag for my dog and told one of the workers. She told me we’d have to act as if it weren’t expired and give me 90% off, I agreed.
The bag was opened and a bunch of white lint was inside the bag. THE BAG WAS THROWN, NO DOG ATE THE FOOD (just in case someone thinks I’m getting dogs in my neighborhood sick)
My thing is this: why did the other bags bought 6 months did just fine and buy the time the dogs ate it/finished the kibbles were technically “expired” ? Is it because the food is “lower Quality” Tbh it gave me a bit of a “scare” to the point where I’m reconsidering if I will switch Sunshine off Pro Plan. When I go home I will open the lamb bag and check it just in case but its not expired. The next morning after coming from PetSmart I decided to open the salmon 1st. I doubt something is wrong with the other bag of lamb (not expired) but I want to make sure.
Now I know I was probably “stupid” for buying expired kibble but even when I bought the 9 bags, 1 was actually already expired but the kibble was just fine. I will from now on not buy kibble that’s already expired. But I will continue to buy kibbles “soon to be expired” for example when the store marks them down (50/75/90 percent off)
I will not make a claim to Purina or PetSmart as I knew the bag was expired and I still bought the bag.

[Sally R]

Suggestions for which dog food is best for Golden Retrievers? I have 2 females, one is 2 1/2 Years old and the other is just over a year old. They are both inside pets and are moderately active. I have been feeding them Blue Buffalo but I’m wanting to find a heathier food for them and one that helps protect them from cancer. Any suggestions and why would be appreciated.

[Anonymous]

I’d be interested in hearing how the Zignature turns out. As I said, it took me absolutely ages … months … to finally settle with my grain-free Performatrim Ultra. I give him two tablespoons of canned Blue Buffalo, which he also loves (had to settle for a 4.5 there). As an aside, my best friend adopted a Boxer from a rescue organization and was told Chicken is bad for Boxers. I sincerely hope that isn’t the case for Shepherds. (I know my Beagle is okay with chicken.) She has gone the freeze-dried route with Orijen balanced with a kibble. She started off cooking the food … referred to it as “chambraying” dinner (lol). Four months later, she simply defrosts!

[Anonymous]

Hi, John. You asked what I used. WELL, I was very happy with Blue Buffalo, thinking I was paying extra because I was such a good fur-baby Mother … and then I joined DOG FOOD ADVISOR (sigh). So, I made sure I was using the Chicken & Brown Rice (4.5*), but, like you, began a search for a 5*, ending in an equal frustration to yourself. However, my best friend uses Orijen (we’re in Canada) for her Boxer and swears by it. I, however, was somewhat cowed by the price and have not switched yet. In the meantime, Pet Valu here (not Pet Smart) sells their own brand called Performatrin that I’m wishing I could get DFA to review. They insist it is better than BB, but made no comparison to Orijen. You are getting some interesting feedback that I am also looking into; i.e., Zignature. I’ve never heard of them but hope to find them somewhere in Canada, or on line with delivery here. Onward, ever onward!!

[Kimberly B]

Our 5 month old Labradoodle is having a hard time transitioning from Blue Buffalo to Nulo. Vet said Blue Buffalo is too rich and too much salt for Moose. I see a lot of good things about Purina Pro Plan but am confused that it doesn’t get 4-5 stars on this site. I thought being a member would help me choose something affordable yet good. Food is very important to me. We lost a 7 year old Lab to cancer this summer so I want to do everything I can to make sure this pup has a long healthy life.
Any input would be greatly appreciated!

[Dharlee]

I’ve tried several things, but mostly whatever the vet recommended along the way. Most were in the Science Diet line and they sold them. I went with Blue Buffalo just because I thought it might be better. I have been trying to research this for a couple months and that was when I decided to try the Dynovite and raw diet. Except I did cook it because my vet begged me to. It’s so confusing. My head is spinning from all I read.

As to the probiotic, I took him off that as soon as I realized he was having issues. I also took him off the Dynovite/beef recipe today (Saturday) and he finally was able to eat tonight, just a tiny bit. He threw up and had diarrhea all day until just about midnight.

Poor little guy. I hate he feels so bad. And I really hate not giving him a better food. I just cannot go with the Ultamino. I can’t understand anyone using feathers in food!

[haleycookie]

What all have you tried feeding him other than the science diet and blue buffalo? Did you take him off the probiotic after you got the vet diet for him? Are his poops ok now that he’s on the vet diet? Why did you switch off blue? It’s odd to me. I’ve had some people use the science diet and that usually works for them. It isn’t the best. Blue in my opinion is much better (but still not the best) however usually dogs that aren’t even sensitive to anything have issues when switched to blue from my experience.

[Dharlee]

My dog was dumped when I got him as a young adult- a little under a year old. He had a stomach full of garbage and so he’s never been able to eat just anything. He does fairly well on Hills Science Diet for Sensitive stomach if it’s dry. He does ok on Blue Buffalo Grain free as well. He has acid reflux and easily throws up anything too rich. He cannot tolerate the Hills ID (I think it’s called) canned food without throwing up.

Fast forward to now and he’s almost 11. I have been reading about dog food and become worried and wanted to try and make things better for him. With that in mind I thought I would try Dynovite. Well, I thought he was doing alright on it. Until last night. He sleeps with me and he got me up almost once an hour to go out. Very unusual for him to go out even once in the night. I went out with him and found he didn’t just have diarrhea, it was like water. He was miserable.

Once before I thought I was doing him a favor and got him some probiotics. After about a week on them he got terrible diarrhea along with a swelled bum as well. He looked rather like a baboon from behind. I have to wonder if it’s the probiotics in the Dynovite that’s causing this now or the richness of the food itself. (I was using their recipe) The only thing I did differently was to cook the beef lightly as they said could be done.

He has developed itchy stinky skin in the last two years and it has been a nightmare both for him and my wallet, but most especially him. The vet thinks he needs a new food she sells and I really HATE it. He loves the taste. It’s Royal Canin Ultamino. It has feather meal! I told her no way but she is insistent. He is also taking 2 apoquil a day! Now this along with a visit every two weeks is breaking my bank! Don’t get me wrong. I love him and will do what I have to do (he has also been through very expensive disk surgery at the local vet college) but it’s coming to the point of do I buy my meds or his.

So I feel like I am at my wits end and do not know where to turn. At this point I just wish I could give him something he loves to eat and that will keep him healthy and happy. I have serious doubts that feather meal is it!

[pitlove]

Blue Buffalo has a vet diet now, but idk if that’s the one they are talking about.

[Lori H]

Hi Cody,

I am just going to tell you. Every vet with a practice went through a seminar during their schooling to either have Hill’s Science Diet or Royal Canin as their go-to brands for either dogs or cats. Read the following article here: http://www.doglivershunt.com/vets-and-nutrition.html

I would do more research on your end. I can’t speak directly to the benefits of Blue Buffalo as a dog food since my dog is on a very specific diet created and curated by the gentleman who provided the detailed information above due to health issues, but don’t believe everything your vet says. 🙂 They are good at what they do, diagnosing ailments and performing surgery, but when it comes to pet nutrition, they don’t have a lot of knowledge, unless they have gone out and gained further education and are willing to look at it from a different approach that is not related to a kick back.

I love my vet and believe he has done good things for all of my pets, but when it comes to nutrition, I found my answers elsewhere.

Good luck on you search for knowledge and don;’t give up before you have all answers you need to make an educated decision.

Lori

[haleycookie]

First have u had her dewormed? Second why are you still feeding the same food if it’s always been soft poop? Try changing to something else. Make sure she’s in health as well from the vet. I have a family member who has had multiple labs and they’ve all been on large breed puppy then adult by blue buffalo with no issues.

[anonymous]

Purina Puppy Chow is bland compared to Blue Buffalo (personally, I have never used)
The puppy needs basic nourishment and hydration right now, nothing fancy.
Listen to your vet. Make sure you presoak with water or plain (no onion) chicken broth.

[InkedMarie]

I do agree about Blue buffalo; they’ve had their share of problems. Puppy Chow is not a food I would feed. Look in the library here (click the link in the red line way up above); pretty sure there is a list of recommended puppy foods.

[haleycookie]

Blue Buffalo is far superior to puppy chow. Puppy chow is mainly corn and not a whole lot else. Blue Buffalo isn’t the best of the best by way better than puppy chow. Also if he’s overweight and also malourished at the same time how is that possible?? A lot of vets hate Blue Buffalo which I totally understand. Seems to give a lot of dogs diahrea. But a family member of mine has have her chocolate lab on blue for 7 years since he was a puppy and he’s the picture of health. So if he’s having good bowel movements, strong nails, soft fur not shedding much he should be just fine. But also try the puppy cans of food for now instead of the kibble. Just for a couple weeks if you can then I would switch to their large breed puppy food if you think the dog with get over 50 lbs.

[Cody H]

Yesterday I noticed my blue pit puppy who is approximately 7 weeks was walking funny. I wasn’t sure it was an injury and since she was going to the vet on Wednesday I asked my wife to see if she could take the puppy in today to have her leg looked at and to do the appointment a day early.

My wife was able to take the puppy to the vet today. The vet stated our puppy was going through a growth spurt and sometimes it looks like an injury. The vet also stated our puppy is overweight. My wife told them we were feeding the puppy Blue Buffalo Chicken and Brown Rice Puppy formula. The vet told her the food wasn’t recommended and our puppy was malnourished and recommended we switch to Purina puppy chow. When my wife left their office she was given a bag of Hill’s Science Diet.

Everything I have read says Blue Buffalo is way better than the Purina Puppy Chow the vet recommended. The puppy may be being overfed by my Daughter so that will be addressed to ensure she is getting the correct amount.

Now I am wondering if I should get rid of the Blue Buffalo and switch to something else like TOTW or something along those lines. Would Blue Buffalo not be giving our puppy enough nutrition?

[zcRiley]

Blue Buffalo supplier was charged with 8 criminal counts awhile ago. Use of chicken feathers and lead were reported,as well.

Anyway, if your dog itches for more than 3 days, always immediately stop whatever food you’re giving since steroids & Benadryl are very bad for any animal. Your dog is simply intolerant to (or becomes allergic to) an ingredient you’re giving him, whether it’s in the kibble or a treat or human food.

In the meantime, feed Zignature kibble until you do an allergy panel test on your dog. Then you’ll know which ingredients he can eat with no adverse effects. My boys are allergic to everything so they’ve thrived on Zignature.

[Susan H]

Does anyone here own a Norfolk Terrier? I got a 10 week old last Saturday and want advice on what puppy food works well for their systems. The breeder was using blue buffalo puppy food but said she was probably going to switch back to Fromm. She stopped because chewy stopped carrying it.

I know as in other small breeds there is a risk for obesity and for heart issues (I plan scrupulous dental care).

I lost my nearly 17 year old miniature schnauzer a month ago and want to give this new pup the best life I can.

Any suggestions for food, supplements would be appreciated.
Thanks.

[poodaddy]

Ahhh … what a juicy topic and it seems full of emotion – perhaps a story of multiple parts which will eventually be relevant to chewing bones will help others – gotta love real life stories. Context – Not a Vet or a Licensed Dog whatever but have been training dogs from basic obedience to field trials (for about 40+ years of studying mostly working with many breeds in dog training clubs – some of the best times in my life – some of the most diverse professionals who were in those clubs – try it if you don’t do it). Was finished with years of shelties and open jumping and wanted a gun dog and to be active in a gun club in upstate PA. So studied up on it, and got an awesome yellow lab, bred for hunting, waited a year for him from a professional duck hunter, and was soooo excited when the day came for me to drive 10 hours to pick him up at 7 weeks old (1995 in Pennsylvania). Carefully trained the puppy to six months in puppy obedience (of course) with the understanding this was going to be a gun dog and of course our favorite home companion too! This big strong consistent smart yeller was amazing in the field under the tutelage of a retiring yellow lab female for upland game and an unreal black for water dog training. Yes, …. for those who do not know, gun dogs in high end clubs mostly learn from retiring master gun dogs and the owners learn from the professional handlers. That dog grew up able to chew, crush, devour anything with jaws and teeth that were bred to handle it (and snapping the neck of a really big furious goose when needed). Teeth were shiny white, never came close to breaking a tooth that I could see, no periodontal disease, healthy male lab, as loving as could be around children/people, but was a focused working dog in the field with an unbelievable level of hearing, great sight and instincts that made me a better person, hunter and handler. Fast forward, many years later, we were suffering from the loss of this companion and we get two pups (14 lb at maturity) cockapoos because I am done with hair in the house and I want a canine companion in my office with me in my 12-15 hour days as a business owner. After the poo male’s first broken adult tooth from meaty bone chewing and the female’s bowel issues from eating “stuff” not even close to bone fragments, and a couple vet visits, gone was bone chewing other than VERY careful observed knawing on some softer meaty bones that are more trouble than they are worth due to the messiness – but the poos love them nonetheless. We were driven to address the anal gland secretion issues, the normal onset of periodontal disease at the 4 year mark and scale build up, bad breath, …

* We learned something REMARKABLE after our vet informed us we must make an appointment for two dogs to be anesthetized and get their teeth cleaned (expensive situation that carried some risk). Early in this year 2017, for different reasons, I embarked on a journey of raw food self-education primarily for anal gland issues and my growing nervousness of kibble, my reading about how commercial dog food is prepared, and my ignorance of what is in it (we were feeding them Blue Buffalo Company products) which may be high quality but I did not trust any kibble and the dogs were finicky with any kibble diet. Since March 2017, their diet (100% raw) has apparently changed their body chemistry so dramatically that the scale on their teeth started “slowly dissolving” after about 6 weeks. Their breath changed in about a week or two for the better. I could rake the scale off with the slightest pressure from a fingernail after a month. The follow on vet visit since then resulted in “anal gland secretion problem resolved” – saved $60/visit/60 days gone due to firm stools from ground bone in the raw diet, “periodontal disease problem – $1600/both dogs resolved” due to (1) the change in digestive chemistry according to our vet with my research concluding the same, (2) and combined with once a week brushing to keep removing the scale, “all digestive issues of periodic loose stools or strange eating habits – resolved as they love the raw food diet we manufacture. So, what is the relevance? The risks of raw meaty bones with a dog directly correlate to the breed, size, and situation. At least this is the conclusion from our real life experience, backed up by concurrence with our vet, and it is consistent with our friends’ experiences who have smaller poo-hybrids versus those with labs. Who is learning? The human for certain … and both the human and dog are benefiting. Booya for education, trial and error, doing things for the love of the dog, and persistence!

[John L]

We were doing the same with our two, trying some of the top brands to give them the best we could. Besides the Orijen issue they wouldn’t touch Merrick, did like Nulo, and we had mixed results with some others. Being Acana is made by the same company as Orijen we’re pretty confident it was a good choice and they devour it.

We lost our almost 13 yo lab a year ago in August. She had been on Blue Buffalo for the last few years and did very well on it, but they had some issues in recent years so we looked elsewhere this time.

[haleycookie]

What stores are near you? Can you order from chewy.com? You could try wellness core small breed. Or the wellness complete health also has a toy breed formula with tiny pieces for dogs 10lbs and under. Not a huge fan of blue buffalo but they carry a couple toy breed foods as well with tiny pieces. Whole earth farms has a small breed that is pretty decent with little pieces as well.

[William L]

I would like to nominate : Nutro WHOLSOME ESSENTIALS, (Farm-Raised Chicken, Brown Rice & sweet potato recipe) manufactured by Mars Pet care, Franklin, Tn.

2 Cocker Spaniels thrive on it. A new product but never had a problem with a Nutro product. Not so with Acana, Blue Buffalo, Orijen and From. Acana and Orijen, Changed their formula when they relocated to the US. but did not notify customers (diarrhea), Blue Buffalo when the Life source Bits separated and ended up as concentrated in top of bag during shipping (diarrhea again), From have tried Beef/Salmon/and chicken. Dogs quit eating them after 2-3 bags. So far no problems with NUTRO. Have never had digestion problem with a Nutro product through the life span of 2 Black Labs, and a Golden Retriever. Would guess u would rate it as a 3.5-4.0.

[Ron C]

If Blue Buffalo Wilderness receives a 4.5 on the tier system, why isn’t it on the Editor’s Choice?

• This topic was modified 2 years, 4 months ago by Mike Sagman. Reason: Fix Duplicate Topic Title

[pitlove]

I read your post and think back to when I felt just like you did. I felt I was doing such great research by reading forums like this, blogs, etc which were mostly just opinions. It wasn’t until I began reading clinical study papers, research papers and literature written by actual boarded veterinary nutritionists that I began to feel I could make appropriate decisions for my pets about their food. I’m far less stressed about it now.

Yes grain free is very trendy, so is raw. The idea that one product is superior to another product because it is “free” of the ingredients the other product contains is a great marketing tool. Why do you think Blue Buffalo is so successful? A negative connotation begins to become associated with all of the ingredients that the “free of everything” foods do not include…because they must be bad. Right? So now, we have a population of well meaning folks trained to believe that corn, wheat, soy, potatos, by-products, gluten, etc is bad and even dangerous for dogs without any real science to back it up. And this is echoed throughout the internet and as well all know, they can’t put it on the internet if it’s not true!!

Visit petdiets.com and go to their “Ask the Nutritionist” section and read through some of the questions and answers and heck feel free to ask your own questions. The site is run by Dr. Rebecca Remillard, ACVN boarded veterinary nutritionst and her staff of nutritionists. These are the people who you want to be getting your information from.

[Nadine H]

Hi Evan,
My 13 month dane can’t tolerate grain free at all, very loose stool, With a dane who can have joint issues when older it really isn’t a concern as far as food when a puppy. The calcium phos levels are very important though.You want a nice steady slow growth and staying slim Don’t know anything about weimaraners. I do know that most vets say no to Blue Buffalo so glad you don’t feed that food.

[Evan G]

Thank you so much for this post!
We are the proud parents of a 3mo old Weimaraner puppy. When we got him, he was being fed blue buffalo wilderness large breed. After talking with our vet, it seems he feels the same way that a lot do, too much protein. While reading this forum it seems that may not be completely accurate. His explanation was too much protein would make him grow faster than his joints and bones could keep up.

In an effort to help him with his growth we have gotten him into swimming, to be a low impact exercise on his joints.

Back to the food though, with our vets advice in mind, we started him on Horizon Pulsar which is salmon based, and much lower protein, (28%)

I really want to find another option that will be a better fit for him. I’m looking for some advice. I tried looking at the 5star options, but they all seem to be very high protein.

Any suggestion for some good quality food within our budget of about 100$ a bag would be greatly appreciated.

[Jude N]

My dog is the same way. I’ve tried him on the following kibbles:

– Blue Buffalo
– Merrick
– Taste of the Wild
– Zignature
– Nature’s Varity Instinct
– Orijen
– Acana
– Legacy
– Wellness
– Fromm
– Nulo
– Earthborn
– ZiwiPeak
– PetKind
– Wysong
– Halo

I have tried numerous wet foods; the only kind he’ll eat is Merrick, which makes him gassy, and is expensive. He has tried Stella & Chewy dehydrated raw, Grandma Lucy’s, and Primal. He likes them all for about a week, and will then start going days without eating, to the point that he will vomit bile from being without food for too long.

He ate Nature’s Variety Instinct beef patties very well for several months; I made the mistake of trying to switch to Stella & Chewy’s venison raw patties, and he detests those. He now will only willingly eat actual ground, whole prey beef mixes from My Pet Carnivore, and beef tripe. I switched him to pork and he has eaten his dinner only twice since last Wednesday, because he’s refusing it.

So basically what I’m saying is that I feel for you, LOL.

Are you wanting kibble or wet food recommendations?

Something that you might try: sprinkle a little bit of garlic powder onto his food. My vet recommended this trick to me, and it’s worked a few times. Now I just make his meals into what can only be called “tripe sandwiches”, trying to not waste the pork meat by layering it between tripe. Sigh.

[lindsay h]

Hi guys, I have tried what feels like everything with my dog and I can only get him to eat wet food…while I don’t have a problem feeding him wet I contacted Blue Buffalo (one of the only foods he will touch) and they recommend mixing dry in to make sure he is getting enough nutrients but not a calorie overload…basically i called because their site recommended 1 – 1.5 cans per 10 pounds of body weight which sounded insane because he is 70 pounds and 1 can has 413 kcals. SO long story short are there any dry foods you all could recommend I could sneak in (he typically finds the dry and spits it out) that your picky eater loves …Please no chicken based foods as he has an allergy…..also we have tried 6 fish, nutrisource seafood select and an acacna fish based….no luck. I would so appreciate your help to make sure my baby is getting enough nutrients without having to throw so many cans of food at him a day. THANK YOU!!